On October 7, 2007, Sophia Christine Hudson was baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Randy Rowland, our pastor at Sanctuary CRC, performed the ceremony, and Meghan Dole was presented as Sophia's godmother. All four of Sophia's grandparents were able to attend, as were many dear friends from far and near. It was a joyful day for our family.
Brian, Meghan, Sophia, me, Randy
After "introducing" us to the congregation, Brian read a passage of Scripture that he and I selected to mark this special day in Sophia's life:
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
We love because he first loved us.
~1 John 4:7-19
We chose this passage for Sophia for two reasons. The first is that, as a member of God's covenant community, she is called to love others as God has loved her. This will be her continual daily calling in Christian life. The final verse is also particularly significant. In fact, it is this verse that we had placed on her christening cake. It is a reminder that salvation is a gift, given through God's grace as a result of His incomparable love for us. It is only because of this Love that we are able--and blessed--to love Him. This love relationship with the Lord of Lords is our hope in Sophia's life as she grows and one day, God willing, lives into her baptism.
Randy's sermon that Sunday poignantly touched on the same themes as he reminded us that God's love is calling for us to live in a way that we might try to be worthy of that love and to reconcile ourselves to one another as He reconciled us to Himself through the blood of Christ.
In this picture, you can see Meghan holding a candle. On the candle are symbols for Christ and a dove, which represents the Holy Spirit. I explained the significance of the candle, which was always a part of the baptism ceremonies Meghan and I grew up witnessing in the Catholic tradition. The candle is lighted during the baptismal ceremony as a symbol of the light of Christ and the flame of the Spirit that indwell all believers. Every year on the anniversary of the child's baptism, the candle is lit again and the family renews their baptismal vows, reminding the child of the charge they have been given to be the light of Christ in the world.
Here, Randy took Sophia and presented her to the congregation just prior to the actual baptism.
He handed her to our friends, Matt and Laura Watrous, who were seated in the front row. This illustrated the congregation's charge to live in a way that would compel our little girl to want to know, love, and live like Jesus. The congregation took a vow to this effect just after the baptism was performed.
Next, Randy asked Brian and I some questions regarding our faith and we vowed to raise Sophia in a Christian home where she might come to know and love Jesus. Here, we have the actual baptism.
The congregation saying their vows.
After all service and some pizza next door at Romio's (Sanctuary's tradition on the first Sunday of the month), the party headed across the Lake to our house.
Snuggling with Grandma after a long day...
On a more somber note, at the same time that the baptism party was going on, there was a memorial service being held for John Fason, a member of our Sanctuary community who had passed away earlier that week. In his final days, John surrendered his life to Christ. As sad as it was to say good-bye to John, it was a blessing to know that he has gone before us to our Lord and to remember that, ultimately, we all belong to Him and will rejoice with Him together forever. The cycle of life was reaffirmed, and it was a gift to have Sophia's baptism held on the same day that our community celebrated the life of our brother, John.
We want to thank all of you who were able to celebrate this special day in Sophia's life and those of you who were praying and celebrating with us from afar. God bless!
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